Vietnam regards Japan as strategic, long-term and leading important partner

VOV.VN - In its external policy, Vietnam always considers Japan to be a strategic, long-term and leading important partner, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide during their phone talks on May 11.

The Japanese PM congratulated Phuc on his election as President of Vietnam, adding that his nation will go ahead with its closer cooperation with and assistance to Vietnam in the development process in the time to come.

In that spirit, the Japanese government has decided to offer a cold storage system for COVID-19 vaccines worth 200 million JPY (US$1.84 million) as non-refundable to the Southeast Asian nation.

Japan will also provide marine scientific research vessels for Vietnam, and open its Consulate General in the central city of Da Nang in 2022, Suga Yoshihide said.

In response, President Phuc expressed his appreciation for PM Suga’s selection of Vietnam for his first overseas trip since taking office last October, and showed his elation at the strong and comprehensive development with high political trust of bilateral ties.

President Phuc took this occasion to invite the Japanese Emperor and Empress to visit Vietnam in the time ahead.

He hailed Japan’s effective and practical cooperation in Vietnam’s socio-economic development, including its donated cold vaccine storage equipment. He also called for Japan’s collaboration and support in COVID-19 vaccines to facilitate Vietnam’s vaccinations and assistance to the Vietnamese community in Japan.

PM Suga affirmed Japan’s readiness tol assist and cooperate with Vietnam to ensure necessary vaccines, and further support Vietnamese apprentices in his country.

The pairs consented to intensify exchanges and meetings at all levels, and improve the efficiency of cooperation mechanisms.

They will also work harder to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), strengthen connectivity in investment and trade, and expand collaboration in agriculture and labour, and cooperation between localities, while joining hands in preparing for celebrations of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.

Both sides agreed that in the context of Vietnam serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 and coordinator of ASEAN-Japan relations in 2018-2021, the two nations need to bolster their close cooperation at multilateral forums, especially the UN and ASEAN, and strengthen collaboration within the Mekong-Japan framework.

They also compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern, including the East Sea-related issue.

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